1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to (a) an ophthalmic photographing apparatus that is used, for example, in an ophthalmic clinic and for a group medical examination and that records an image while observing an eye to be examined, (b) a method of controlling the same, and (c) a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among ophthalmic photographing apparatuses, fundus cameras that photograph a fundus of an eye to be examined have widely been known. Among the fundus cameras, non-mydriatic fundus cameras have been well known that use near-infrared light, with which the eye does not feel glaringness during observation, and that illuminate the fundus of the eye with visible light at the moment of taking a still image and thus photograph the fundus of the eye.
As described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H04-150831, the non-mydriatic fundus camera acquires fundus reflectance of an eye to be examined on observation using a dedicated illumination light and a sensor and thereby evaluates brightness of a subject (hereinafter, “photometry”). The camera can automatically determine the optimal amount of light for photographing (light-control) using a value acquired by photometry (hereinafter, “photometric value”) and acquire a still image of the fundus of the eye with the optimal brightness.
An operation for photographing an eye to be examined when an apparatus is not in a state capable of photographing causes problems of imposing a load of rephotographing on the eye and wearing of the apparatus. In order to solve the problems, an ophthalmic photographing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-235319 adopts a configuration of prohibiting photographing during a status incapable of recording.
An ophthalmic apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H09-215662 prohibits photographing when a status of alignment with the eye is inappropriate, thereby preventing unnecessary photographing (or measurement).
In recent years, since digitalization is facilitated, a digital camera of a generally used single-lens reflex camera type is adopted as a photographing camera of the fundus camera. This adoption is because the digital camera allows remote photographing from the fundus camera, has high compatibility with a conventional film type camera and further has resolution sufficient for an ophthalmic diagnostic image.
In particular, recently, a function (hereinafter, “live view function”) of utilizing a sensor of a digital camera of a single-lens reflex type not only for recording a still image but also for observing and recording a moving image, has been added. This function allows photographing without viewing a viewfinder, thereby leading to an advantage of improving flexibility in the photographing angle. In recent years, inventions using the live view function on observation when attaining alignment and adjusting the focus, have been proposed.